Breast augmentation is a term used to describe the alteration of a breast or pair of breasts with the view to improving the look or changing the visual nature of them in some way.

Other terms commonly used for describing this process are breast enlargement, mammoplasty enlargement, augmentation mammoplasty – as well as the commonly used slang term – ‘boob job’.

The reasons for breast augmentation might include reconstructing the breast after a mastectomy or to correct what are known as congenital chest wall deformities.

Implants are made of two common materials: saline filled implants and silicone filled implants. Saline filled breast implants were first manufactured in France in 1964 by a company called Arion. The outer wall of these implants are made of silicone rubber, and are placed into the breast area via a small incision. Once the implant has been positioned, saline liquid (salt water) is injected into the implant, expanding the prosthesis to the desired size.

Saline implants were used in the USA until the 1990s because of restrictions on the other type of breast implant – namely the silicone gel implant. While the saline implants can indeed give very good results, the silicone gel option is considered by many to be superior. With saline implants, there is a risk of wrinkling and some people report that the breast does not look natural to the eye and does not feel real to the touch.

There have been 5 generations of silicone implant since the first one was implanted in 1961 by the Dow Corning Corporation. The fifth generation is now with us and displays unrivalled quality in terms of silicone migration, safety and natural looks.

The decision to have a breast implant is of course one that should be considered very carefully before going ahead with. There are many breast augmentation specialists across the country, and all of them will carry out a full consultation with the woman concerned, so that all questions are answered and the entire process is laid out before the patient, so they are totally relaxed about the procedure and are able to make an informed decision as regards proceeding.

As mentioned above, there are many reasons why a woman will opt for breast augmentation. Aside from improving the appearance of the breasts after an operation, many women decide to go ahead with the procedure in order to improve the look and feel of their breasts – perhaps if they feel that they sag a little or are too small. Women who opt for such a procedure tend to be from a more wealthy, more educated socio-economic group.